Toy with a flexible member and a base member one of which is magnetized

ABSTRACT

A TOY IS DISCLOSED WHICH USES A FLEXIBLE MEMBER USUALLY A CHAIN, WHICH MAY BE ANCHORED AT ITS ENDS WITH A SUBSTANTIAL LENGTH BETWEEN THE POINTS OF ATTACHMENT WHEREBY THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER CAN BE MANIPULATED TO COMPLETE A FIGURE OR A PORTION OF A FIGURE BY SHIFTING PORTIONS F THIS MEMBER TO ANY POSITIONS DESIRED. A BASE MEANS IS PROVIDED WHICH INCLUDES A BASE MEMBER. ONE OF THESE MEMBERS IS MAGNETIZED AND THE OTHER MEMBER IS OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL TO THAT THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER IS RELEASABLY RETAINED IN PLACE WHEN MANIPULATING THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER AND AGAINST INDAVERTENT DISLOCATION OF THE SAME. PREFERABLY THE DEVICE IS ENCLOSED IN A BOX WITH A TRANSPARENT COVER AND A MANIPULATOR IS PROJECTED THROUGH A HOLE IN A WALL FOR MANIPULATING THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER.

' March 9,1971 H w c 3,568,360

TOY WITH A FLEXIBLE MEMBER AND A BASl-fl MEMBER ONE OF WHICH IS MAGNETIZED Filed Dec. K50, 1968 INV/JN'IYIIQv HLFRED H, WHLL/JcH HTTOR/VE Y United States Patent Ofice 3,568,360 Patented Mar. 9, 1971 3,568,360 TOY WITH A FLEXIBLE MEMBER AND A BASE MEMBER ONE OF WHICH IS MAGNETIZED Alfred H. Wallach, Bronxville, N.Y. Walco Toy Co. Inc., 38 W. 37th St., New York, N.Y. 10018) Filed Dec. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 787,666 Int. Cl. A63h 33/26 US. Cl. 46-236 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toy is disclosed which uses a flexible member usually a chain, which may be anchored at its ends with a substantial length between the points of attachment whereby the flexible member can be manipulated to complete a figure or a portion of a figure by shifting portions of this member to any positions desired. A base means is provided which includes a base member. One of these members is magnetized and the other member is of magnetic material so that the flexible member is releasably retained in place when manipulating the flexible member and against inadvertent dislocation of the same. Preferably the device is enclosed in a box with a transparent cover and a manipulator is projected through a hole in a wall for manipulating the flexible member.

A flexible chain has been used to complete a partial figure in an artistic or grotesque way by shifting parts of the chain as desired. Such toys without more may tend to irritate the child since the chain does not remain in place with any degree of assurance when other portions of the chain are moved to complete a desired outline or figure or when the toy is inadvertently jarred by the child using the toy or a child Watching the toy being used. The toy to be described overcomes these two disadvantages.

It is an object of the invention to construct a toy using a base means having a base member and at least one flexible member, usually a chain, which is manipulated to any desired form or position in order to make or complete a figure and in which one of these members is magnetized and the other is magnetic material so that the flexible member is releasably retained in manipulated position.

Another object of the invention is to construct a toy as above in which the toy is enclosed in an open top casing.

A further object is as above in which the toy is in a case which completely encloses the parts, has a transparent top and a hole is provided in wall of the casing through which a manipulator is projected.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the toy showing a portion of a figure and a flexible element associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a enlarged sectional view through a link of a chain carrying a magnet.

The toy in its simplest form comprises base means 10 having a base member 11 and at least one flexible mem ber 12, such as a chain, the ends of which are preferably secured to the base means such as by suitable attaching means or fasteners 13 and 14 which may be a permanent attachment and with a length of flexible member between the fixed ends which is substantially greater than the distance between the spaced attaching means. Preferably the base means includes a figure or an incomplete figure thereon that shown being a completed portion of a head 15 and an incomplete portion being the profile. The purpose of the toy is to complete the profile either artistically or grotesquely at the whim of the child. -It is clear that the partial figure on the base means may be of any other figure, for example an animal. It is clear too that more than one flexible member may be provided so that not only the profile of a head may be made but the body form of the figure may be created also at the whim of the child.

In the form of toy particularly illustrated, the base member is a magnetized sheet or plate. A form of this base member which has been used and found satisfactory is one having a carrier of suitable material, such as paper or plastic, which carries on the surface thereof or embedded therein particles which are capable of being magnetized. It can be purchased in sheets already magnetized and the sheet is cut to' the shape of the base member or the range of movement of the flexible member. This magnetized base material which is available is magnetized in alternate rows of north and south poles. The drawing illustrates this magnetization in FIG. 2 in which the dots signify one polarity and the spaces between dots signifies the opposite polarity.

Preferably the base means includes a separate sheet '16 bearing the partial outline of the figure 15 which is placed over the magnetized base member with the flexible member attached to the figure sheet. If it should be desired to remove one figure sheet and replace it with another sheet of another incomplete figure, this may be achieved by removably attaching the flexible member to the sheet. This may be accomplished such as by spaced attachingflaps 14a, and 14b one being shown provided for each and the flexible member. The scope of the figures which may be created is widened thereby. The flaps 14a illustrates that the location of the attaching means may be where desired.

The magnetized base member retains the flexible member in manipulated position and consequently the latter must be of magnetic material, such as iron or steel wire links for a chain or chain links made of plastic wire having magnetic material therein. Indeed wires of a plastic having magnetic characteristics and of sufficient flexibility to be used are available in substitution for the chain although such wires would not have the same degree of flexibility that a link chain has so that sharp corners can not be produced as in a chain.

Another embodiment of the toy is one in which the flexible member is magnetized and the base member is of suitable magnetic material such as a plate or foil of iron or steel or a plastic member carrying embedded therein or on the surface thereof a material having magnetic characteristics and the like. In other words one of the members, including the flexible member and the base member, is magnetized and the other member is of magnetic material to be magnetically attracted or held by the magnetized member and thereby provide retention for the flexible member to releasably retain the same in its manipulated position and yet easily movable to any new position as desired.

If a chain of small links is to be the magnetized member, alternate links thereof should be magnetized and the link between magnetized links should be of a non-magnetizable material such as brass, plastic and the like. When a chain or relatively small links is the magnetized member, the chain has a tendency to bunch up because of the attraction between the magnetized links. There is shown in FIG. 3 a chain link which leads itself more suitably for a flexible member which serves as the mag netized member. The link is basically a body 24 of non magnetic material, such as brass or plastic, having a cavity or chamber 25 in which a magnet 26 is suitably secured.

One end of this link has a hub 27 carrying pivot means 28 on opposite sides thereof. The other end of the body has a pair of spaced arms 29 each of which has a bearing hole 30 therein adjacent to the ends of the arms. These arms are flexible so that they may be spread and snap receives the hub of the next link.

The simplest form of the construction is a toy of two members namely a base member, but preferably having a figure sheet overlying the base member and a flexible member preferably secured at its ends although with the magnetic characteristic, securing the ends of the flexible member is not essential but desirable. In order to protect the working parts of the toy, it may be encased in a suitable casing or box 18 with an open top and the child may manipulate the flexible member with a pencil, toothpick and the like through the open top. Children are curious however, and no doubt would try to pull the flexible member off of the base means and break any fixed end anchorage. The toy in its preferred form therefore, has a casing with a transparent top, shown as a cover 19 for the casing which may be sealed for a toy providing solely one figure sheet. The cover prevents a child from tampering with the flexible member. When the box is provided with a sealed cover, a hole 20, such as in a side thereof, is provided through which a manipulator 21 may be projected for shifting the flexible member to any desired positions.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a toy with a flexible member and a base member one of which is magnetized. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefitting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising a base means including at least a base member, at least one flexible member being operable solely when lying on the base means and having ends, the flexible member having a length of substantial dimension so that the flexible member is adapted to be manipulated on the base means, one of the members being magnetized and the other member being of magnetic material and the flexible member being of magnetic material or magnetized throughout its length whereby the flexible member is releasably retained in manipulated position.

2. A toy as in claim 1 in which the base member is the member which is magnetized and the flexible member is of magnetic material.

3. A toy as in claim 1 in which the base means includes an incomplete figure having an incomplete portion with ends, which portion is to be completed by manipulation of the flexible member.

4. A toy as in claim 3 in which spaced attaching means is provided on the base means at the ends of the incomplete portion of the figure to which the ends of the flexible member are attached.

5. A toy as in claim 4 in which the base means includes a figure sheet carrying the partial figure thereon, the attaching means for the ends of the flexible member being carried by the figure sheet.

6. A toy as in claim 5 in which the base member is magnetized and the flexible member is of magnetic material.

7. A toy as in claim 6 including a casing receiving the base means at the bottom thereof, and having at least a side and an open top, a cover closing the top of the casing, and a hole in a side of the casing adapted to receive a manipulating element.

8. A toy as in claim 6 in which the flexible member is a plurality of links, connecting means at the ends of each link connecting the same to another link, the links being of non magnetized material, and a plurality of links carrying a magnet.

9. A toy as in claim 7 including a manipulating element of non-magnetized material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,549,197 8/ 19'25 Hanback 46237 2,651,140 9/1953 Kovac 46-240 2,853,830 9/1958 Herzog 46239X LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner J. N. ESKOVITZ, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 46237 

